Portrait of a Man 1491

This panel painting, Portrait of a Man, was created in 1491 by an anonymous artist working in Southern Germany, most likely Swabia. Here we see a man fashionably attired with a turban and robe with landscape visible through the window behind. The date at the top of the panel indicates it was made in 1491, a time of great transition in the Holy Roman Empire. As such, this painting is a fascinating example of how portraits played a role in defining social status in a time of significant cultural shifts. The sitter’s attire—the turban and robe—is certainly meant to evoke both wealth and worldliness. These details invite us to speculate about the subject’s personal and social identity and the cultural values he wished to project. Art historical research, including analysis of costume and social practices in fifteenth-century Swabia, can tell us a great deal more about this intriguing portrait. Art is a product of the social world it inhabits.